September 16, 2025
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Zen Energy Group kicks off construction of hybrid PV-BESS project in North Macedonia

Luxembourg-based Zen Energy Group has started the installation of a hybrid energy project in North Macedonia, combining a solar power plant and a battery energy storage system.

A solar power plant with a battery energy storage system (BESS) could become the country’s second hybrid power plant, with Fortis Energy installing energy storage near Oslomej solar park.

Zen Energy Group kicked off the construction of a landmark solar plus storage project in North Macedonia, Yossi Edelstein, Chief Executive Officer of Zen Energy Group, wrote on LinkedIn.

From concept to construction, Zen Energy Group is making the future of energy a reality in the country, he added.

“We are proud to share that our 82 MW utility-scale solar project with 50 MWh BESS in North Macedonia has officially entered the construction phase,” Edelstein stated.

The PV plant will use LONGi bifacial solar panels

The company’s team kicked off earthworks, development of access roada and cut-and-fill activities. The project is scheduled to start delivering green electricity to the national grid by late April 2026 and to achieve full commercial operation date in August 2026, according to Edelstein.

The project marks another significant step toward advancing clean energy generation in the region, he added.

According to the firm’s website, the photovoltaic plant will be located near Negotino. It will use LONGi bifacial solar panels for the expected annual production of 124,198 MWh.

The financing was secured from NLB bank, the website reads.

The developer revealed that it has signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) for 10 years in total, with a six-year fixed price period.

Seven projects in the pipeline

Works near Negotino (photo: Zen Energy Group/LinkedIn)

Zen Energy Group is developing seven energy investments – for three solar parks, two wind farms, a standalone BESS, and a commercial and industrial (C&I) portfolio in the UK.

Wind farms Unirea (102 MW) and Traian (78 MW) are located in Romania, while two PV facilities in North Macedonia would have a total capacity of 137 MW. The Negotino endeavor is for 82 MW and the Armatus investment envisages 55 MW.

Solar project Hajdučica of 125 MW is planned in Serbia. All three PV plants would have BESS. The company is developing the Lacu Sarat standalone battery facility in Romania. If it were in operation now, it would be the largest BESS in Europe.

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August 27, 2025
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Dozens of airports in Southeastern Europe invest in solar power, energy efficiency

Airports in Istanbul and Athens are becoming completely self-reliant with their large solar power projects. Many other airports in Southeastern Europe are investing in photovoltaics as well. Together with energy efficiency, electric mobility and waste and wastewater management projects, they aim to decarbonize their operations and reduce their environmental impact.

Surfaces around infrastructure such as railways and motorways are convenient for solar power as there are few alternatives for their use and the technology can directly provide them with electricity. Airports, too, have embraced the global trend of introducing photovoltaics and electrifying operations, and Southeastern Europe is no exception, with several notable investments.

The largest ones in Istanbul and Athens are about to switch 100% to solar power, which would make them some of the first in the world. In addition, airports in the region are increasing energy efficiency and rolling out electric vehicle fleets. They are introducing resource, waste and wastewater management systems to decarbonize their operations and reduce their environmental impact.

Airport operator in Albania expanding to solar power market

In other recent news, the operator of Kukës International Airport Zayed in Albania’s northeast is in the process of obtaining a license to generate and trade electricity. Namely, the company, Global Technical Mechanics, received a concession five months ago in consortium with local construction firm Bami to build and operate a 12 MW solar power plant.

The location at the village of Shtiqen is in the municipality of Kukës. The airport, built with investments by Emaar Properties from the United Arab Emirates, was inaugurated in 2021. However, it ceased operations in the meantime as Wizz Air withdrew from the facility.

The entire Vlora International Airport, which is under construction, will be covered with solar panels, Albanian officials said earlier. The PV project is for 5.2 MW. A consortium led by Swiss-based Mabco Constructions is building and financing the construction. The firm is part of Mabetex Group, controlled by Behgjet Pacolli, Kosovar businessman and former president, deputy prime minister and foreign minister.

Zagreb Airport starts with small PV unit

Zagreb Airport, which installed a 250 kW photovoltaic unit this year, said it plans to expand it soon. In addition, it switched to 100% renewable energy supply.

Like other airports in the region, the main one in Croatia replaced conventional, halogen lighting with LED. The operator has committed to cutting its emissions in accordance with the recommendations from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

Zagreb Airport is renovating its buildings and increasingly using solar energy for heating water. Interestingly, it plans to switch from diesel-fueled generators to hydrogen-ready systems.

Athens to integrate strong battery with its arrays

Athens International Airport Eleftherios Venizelos commissioned an 8.05 MW solar park in 2011, followed by another one in 2023, with 15.8 MW in peak capacity.

This year two more units with a combined peak capacity of 35.5 MW are coming online, together with a battery energy storage system (BESS) of 82 MWh.

The operator of Turkey’s largest airport is completing a photovoltaic park of nearly 200 MW and aiming to cover almost all its energy needs from renewable sources by the end of the decade

IGA Istanbul Airport reported that its greenhouse gas emissions in 2024 were 10.5% lower than its goal. Moreover, its operator increased its 2030 renewable energy target from 50% to 90%.

Namely, it expects its Eskişehir solar farm of a whopping 199.3 MW to begin operations before the end of the year. The location spans 300 hectares and the investment amounts to EUR 212 million. The PV park will generate an estimated 340 GWh per year.

Dalaman Airport hosts world’s largest rooftop solar power plant among airport terminals

Several other airports in Turkey are also decarbonizing their electricity systems. TAV Airports Holding (TAV Havalimanları Holding), part of Groupe ADP, completed a solar power plant 6.7 MW in peak capacity at its Milas-Bodrum Airport in the country’s southwest. Within the same project for setting up PV systems at parking areas, the Izmir Adnan Menderes Airport is getting a 5.9 MW unit.

The Izmir Adnan Menderes Airport is getting a 5.9 MW solar power system at parking areas

Dalaman Airport, near Bodrum, operates a solar power plant of 8.3 MW in peak capacity. It is the world’s largest on the roof of an airport terminal building.

The facility now covers more than 55% of its consumption from solar energy. The investment was worth EUR 5.4 million. The operator, YDA Airport Investment and Management, has vowed to reach 100% in phase two. The airport has completely switched to electric vehicles.

In 2023, airports Milas-Bodrum, Gaziantep, Erzurum and Ordu-Giresun all commissioned smaller PV systems.

Romanian operators leaning on EU funds

Iași International Airport is about to expand its 1 MW solar power plant, installed in 2023. It was the first in Romania in the sector. The management intends to add 5 MW and a 2 MW energy storage unit.

The investment will reportedly be supported with a grant from the European Union’s Modernisation Fund. The hybrid power plant is supposed to cover a fifth of the electricity consumption of the facility in Romania’s far northeast.

Maramureş International Airport (AIM) is also seeking funding, for a system of 2.6 MW in peak capacity on parking canopies. It would include battery storage.

The PV unit would feature 25 inverters of 100 kW each. The project, worth EUR 12.1 million, should be complete by the end of next year, the management said. The facility is in Romania’s northwest, near the border with Ukraine and Hungary.

Cluj International Airport Avram Iancu said in December that it would install a PV system with batteries. It claimed it would make it energy independent in 2026. According to the facility’s website, the solar power project is for 2 MW.

Bacau International Airport George Enescu is another one that applied for funds. The management envisages a 1.25 MW solar power unit and a BESS of 2.1 MWh in capacity, to fully cover electricity consumption.

Sibiu International Airport is developing a project for a ground-mounted unit of 1.7 MW in peak capacity. The site is two kilometers from the terminal.

The management is expecting to cover the costs mainly with a grant via the Modernisation Fund. It said the PV park would be completed within a year and a half and suggested that it would introduce electric cars and buses and charging stations.

Notably, National Company Bucharest Airports (CNAB) has a geotermal energy project.

Hermes Airports equipped its two facilities with PV systems in 2023

Hermes Airports commissioned two solar power plants in Cyprus two years ago. The unit at Larnaka International Airport has 3.5 MW in peak capacity and the one at Pafos International Airport has 1.1 MW. They cover 25% and 30%, respectively, of the facilities’ electricity needs.

Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport in Serbia commissioned a PV system of 1 MW in peak capacity in 2022. The facility’s concessionaire, Vinci Airports, has also set up solar-powered LED lighting.

International airports in Sarajevo and Tuzla in Bosnia and Herzegovina unveiled plans for PV systems a few years ago.

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August 27, 2025
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Agios Efstratios becomes Greece’s first energy-autonomous island

A hybrid energy project transforming Agios Efstratios into the first energy-autonomous island in Greece is in trial operation. The system consists of a wind turbine, solar power plant, batteries, electric boilers and a district heating network.

It is a benchmark for the non-interconnected islands that won’t be connected to the mainland grid with undersea power cables.

Agios Efstratios is no longer renowned only for its history and natural beauty. It is an example of energy autonomy and sustainability. The island, also known as Ai Stratis, became the first non-interconnected Greek island with a 100% electricity supply from renewables. And more.

A pioneering energy complex is in trial operation. Agios Efstratios, which has only some 250 permanent residents, is in a group of small islands undergoing transformation through projects launched at the national level and benefiting from European Union funding.

Terna Energy completed hybrid energy system in Agios Efstratios

The Centre for Renewable Energy Sources and Saving (CRES or KAPE), an independent public entity, is responsible for the endeavor, on behalf of the Municipality of Agios Efstratios. Terna Energy, owned by Masdar, is the contractor for the works in the small North Aegean island.

The new hybrid energy system includes a 900 kW Enercon E44 wind turbine and a solar power unit of 225 kW. Their combined annual output is estimated at above 3 GWh.

Excess electricity is stored. One unit is a Tesla Megapack battery energy storage system (BESS) of 1.25 MW in operating power and a two-hour duration. It means the capacity is 2.5 MWh. There is also an electric boiler facility of 1 MW with hot water storage tanks that can hold 500 cubic meters of water at 120 degrees Celsius. It corresponds to 25 MWh.

The district heating network in Agios Efstratios is four kilometers long. It will be tested in the winter.

An oil-fired generator operated by state-controlled Public Power Corp. (PPC) remains as backup. It can work alongside the hybrid power plant.

Greece is connecting many islands to mainland power grid

The solutions from Agios Efstratios can be applied in other islands or in microgrids, CRES noted and said residents are getting cheaper energy.

The government launched its Islands Decarbonization Fund last year, with financing from the European Investment Bank (EIB). Together they aim to provide at least EUR 1.6 billion, and mobilize total investments of EUR 3 billion to EUR 5 billion.

In the hot summer months, there are many non-interconnected islands that can’t meet their power demand, especially because of the tourist season. Some are also struggling with water supply, prompting the need for desalination, which requires electricity. They rely on fuel oil generators.

The country’s Independent Power Transmission Operator (IPTO or, in Greek, Admie) is investing in major interconnection projects. A link to the mainland grid has improved the living conditions in the Cyclades islands of Syros, Paros and Mykonos. Together with a project for the western part of the archipelago, the transmission system operator is planning subsea cables to the Dodecanese and the Northeast Aegean.

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August 21, 2025
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Prosumers in Romania are neck and neck with commercial PV plants in capacity

The latest data showed that prosumers in Romania don’t have a much larger total capacity anymore than commercial solar power plants, a segment accelerating in expansion. The share of units for self-consumption that include energy storage reached 5.8% in the first half of the year, compared to 1.2% six months earlier.

Total number of prosumers in Romania increased by 8,950 in June, to 237,252, Profit.ro reported. The installed capacity, consisting overwhelmingly of photovoltaic panels, rose by 95 MW, to 2.82 GW, the media outlet added, citing data from the National Energy Regulatory Authority (ANRE).

Total installed capacity of large, commercial solar parks is 2.77 GW, according to the article. Both segments are expanding strongly, but the latter has lately accelerated, with new utility-scale PV facilities coming online week after week. Of note, wind power and battery energy storage systems (BESS) are catching up.

On that note, 5.8% of prosumers also had batteries integrated with their self-consumption units on June 30. It compares to 1.2% at the end of last year.

Prosumers have led the energy transition for the past two years. Their overall capacity surpassed 2 GW just a year ago, translating to 37% growth in ten months.

Output in the segment amounted to 434 GWh in the first half of the year, where net domestic consumption declined 1% and net energy production surged 10%. Namely, as the duration of the daily solar radiation interval rose, prosumers in Romania drew less power from the grid and consumed more of what they generated themselves.

At the end of the first half of 2025, 210,714 households were prosumers, versus 26,538 legal entities. They had 1.34 GW and 1.48 GW installed, respectively.

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August 19, 2025
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Battery storage investors in Romania rapidly expanding project pipeline

In an accelerating investment wave, companies in Romania are combining BESS with solar power, hydropower and wind power, or building standalone energy storage facilities. The group includes R.Power, Hidroelectrica, Engie and more big names.

Recent updates about investments in battery energy storage systems (BESS) in Romania indicate the technology is becoming another pillar of the country’s energy transition alongside wind power. For several years now, photovoltaics, and prosumers in particular – including municipal authorities, have dominated the scene. Geothermal energy is another emerging segment.

The government has provided incentives both for households and utility-scale battery storage. Companies are combining batteries with solar and wind power as well as hydropower capacity.

Investing in BESS colocated with renewable electricity plants or as standalone facilities in Southeastern Europe enables income from high spreads between wholesale power prices in daily trading. It is especially significant given the increase in the occurrence of zero and negative prices.

Notably, neighboring Bulgaria has earmarked massive funds for support to BESS investments while also focusing on pumped storage hydropower projects. Greece also held several rounds of auctions for battery storage.

R.Power to start building 127 MW standalone battery

R.Power is investing in BESS in Romania, which is one of its strategic markets, together with Poland, where it is headquartered, and Italy, Germany, Spain and Portugal. Battery storage makes up 17.5 GW or more than half of its total development pipeline in Europe.

The company said it would hybridize its existing and future PV assets and scale the integrated capacity to several gigawatts in the coming years. It has over 1.2 GW of projects for standalone BESS in Romania. “And that’s just the beginning,” R.Power said.

It obtained EUR 15 million in funding for a future 127 MW facility. It is about to start building the BESS in Scornicești in Olt county, west of Bucharest. R.Power is planning to complete it in a year. The battery energy storage system would have a duration of two hours, translating to 254 MWh in capacity. The project received funding from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP or, in Romanian, PNRR).

Still, in the company’s view, further legislative changes are needed to fully harness the potential of the technology.

Hidroelectrica to add large battery to Iron Gate 2 hydroelectric plant

State-owned Hidroelectrica, the largest electricity producer in Romania, wants to install a battery storage system at Iron Gate 2 (Porțile de Fier 2) on the Danube. Located on the border with Serbia, it is the second-largest hydroelectric plant in the country, at 252 MW in nominal capacity. The complex, which the two countries share, is known as Đerdap in Serbian.

The BESS would have 64 MW in nominal power and a four-hour duration (256 MWh), Profit.ro reported. Hidroelectrica plans to use it for providing balancing services to the national electricity system (SEN) and adjust the time intervals of its hydropower production.

The contract for the installation of the facility is estimated at EUR 61.2 million plus value-added tax, according to the article. It would be integrated with the hydroelectric plant. The company is receiving bids from potential contractors by August 28.

French Engie has BESS projects for its existing PV plant, wind park

France-based Engie’s subsidiary in Romania intends to install a BESS at its newest solar power plant, of 37.2 MW in peak capacity, in Ariceștii Rahtivani. It commissioned the PV facility in June. The location is north of Bucharest, in Prahova county.

The battery energy storage system project is for 20 MW in operating power and 80 MWh. It would consist of 16 containers, 192 inverters and four transformer units.

The wind park in Băleni will reportedly add a small BESS facility

Engie Romania is working on another investment, through its Alizeu Eolian project firm. It plans to add batteries to a 50 MW wind park in Băleni, Galați county, which was built in 2013.

The company obtained the building permit last year. It also got clearance two months ago for connecting the BESS with a 110/20 kV transformer station via an underground line. Economica.net learned that the battery storage facility would have 5 MW and a two-hour duration, costing the firm EUR 2 million.

Engie’s project was included in the reserve list last September after a public call for support to battery storage. The Ministry of Energy selected 13 applications for grants from NRRP. Another 25 passed, but remained below the line.

Government bolstering battery investments with grants

The state aid scheme was worth EUR 103.5 million, of which EUR 79.6 million came from the European Union’s Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF).

Among the beneficiaries are Electrica, in which the government holds just under 50%. Renovatio Trading. OMV Petrom, Public Power Corp. (PPC) and Verbund have projects on the B list.

For its 65 MWh project in Toplița in Harghita county, in eastern Transylvania, Renovatio Trading is buying the equipment from Trina Storage. The firm is part of Trina Solar.

Visual Fan is winning major contracts for the procurement and installation of batteries

Allview Energy, part of Romanian company Visual Fan, is handling the alternating current (AC) side in Renovatio Trading’s investment.

In addition, Visual Fan became the contractor for a BESS within Eurowind Energy’s Teiuș solar park.

The Danish developer intends to deploy a 117 MWh energy storage unit with lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) batteries, within a year. It valued the project at over EUR 16.6 million. The companies said they would carry out the works in partnership with TQM Services and Voltlink. The investment includes the battery management system and liquid cooling.

In June, the ministry approved a EUR 3.4 million grant from the EU’s Modernisation Fund to Termoficare Oradea. It has a project for a 10 MW solar park with a 15 MWh storage unit, worth EUR 18.6 million altogether.

Austria’s Verbund conducting EUR 22.7 million project

Verbund has almost all the permits for a BESS project at its 226 MW wind farm in Casimcea in Tulcea county. The company headquartered in Austria said it has secured financing as well and that it is already contracting the equipment.

The wind farm was commissioned in 2012. The energy storage segment would have up to 50 MW and up to 100 MWh. It would be located at the Alpha Wind Nord section of the existing facility, of 81 MW.

Still, the basic variant’s size will be 48.3 MW, with 76 MWh in capacity, according to Profit.ro. There would be 34 containers at the site selected for the BESS.

The majority government-controlled utility values the investment at EUR 22.7 million, of which more than EUR 10.7 million is for the storage facility itself. The location spans five hectares.

After coming up short in the public call, Verbund submitted the project for a grant from the Modernisation Fund.

In mid-May, Romania hosted 240.7 MW of battery capability and a total capacity of 404.9 MWh.

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August 15, 2025
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Floating solar farm ready to be merged with North Sea offshore wind park

Dutch company Oceans of Energy has assembled its new floating photovoltaic plant in the Port of Amsterdam in just three days. The modular facility is about to be towed and integrated with the Hollandse Kust Noord offshore wind farm on the North Sea, creating a hybrid power plant.

The Nymphaea Aurora floating solar power platform comprises 1,400 photovoltaic panels on 196 floaters. It features reused metals at 70%, while the share of reused polymers is 80%. The name is inspired by a water lily and how it gently floats, while aurora is the Latin word for dawn.

SolarPower Europe promoted the project after the modular platform was assembled in the Port of Amsterdam in just three days. It is about to be towed to a spot 22 kilometers offshore IJmuiden on the North Sea. There it would be installed within the Hollandse Kust Noord offshore wind farm.

Using just 3% to 5% of the space between turbines for solar panels can boost energy output by over 20%, all while using the existing energy system infrastructure, the update adds.

Next step after Nymphaea Aurora is scaling up so units reach 10 MW, 100 MW, 1 GW

Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Oceans of Energy Allard van Hoeken claimed Nymphaea Aurora is the world’s first offshore solar farm to be installed within an operational offshore wind park.

However, China’s State Power Investment Corp. (SPIC) commissioned one such facility in 2022. It used Ocean Sun’s technology for the two solar power units offshore Haiyang, a city in Shandong province in eastern China. It connected them with an offshore wind turbine. Several other hybrid offshore wind and floating PV projects have been initiated over the last few years.

Van Hoeken: Everything you do at sea is very scalable

Combining the two renewable energy technologies brings variation into the generation profile, Van Hoeken noted.

“There is more solar energy in the summer and more wind energy in the winter. The next step is scaling up the farms from 1 MW to 10 MW, to 100 MW and to 1,000 MW. This is the size that offshore solar offers to the world, because everything you do at sea is very scalable,” the CEO stressed.

Hollandse Kust Noord is operated by CrossWind, a joint venture between Shell and Eneco. The 759 MW facility consists of 69 wind turbines, while Nymphaea Aurora brings only 0.5 MW. It takes up one hectare and it will be moored at a location with water depth of 25 meters.

Oceans of Energy deployed three standalone offshore PV units so far

In 2019, Oceans of Energy installed the world’s first floating solar power plant at sea, North Sea 1. Initially located one kilometer from the shore, it had 8.5 kW in capacity. It was expanded to 50 kW the following year and moved to a spot 15 kilometers away, near The Hague. It is an area with high waves, of up to 13 meters.

The firm earlier said it would expand its other pilot facility, North Sea 2, to 1 MW. It is 12 kilometers from the shore. North Sea 3 was deployed last year for testing off the Belgian coast.

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August 14, 2025
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Slovenia’s HESS inks 9.2 MW deal for two solar power plants near HPP Brežice

Hydropower plant operator Hidroelektrarne na Spodnji Savi will build two solar power plants with a combined capacity of 9.2 MW near its Brežice hydropower plant. It picked Končar as the contractor.

Two new photovoltaic facilities in the pipeline are the continuation of investments in solar near the Brežice hydropower plant. Hidroelektrarne na Spodnji Savi (HESS), owned by GEN and HSE, installed a 6 MW PV plant in May 2023 next to the reservoir of its HPP Brežice’s.

At the time, it was the largest in Slovenia, and it remains the largest hybrid system in the country.

The existing PV plant is FEBR-D3, while the two new ones are called FEBR-D1 and FEBR-D2.

“We’re excited to announce a new chapter in our collaboration with HESS,” Croatia-based Končar said.

Končar will install the two solar power plants

Končar, an engineering company, signed a contract in July for the construction of FEBR-D1 and FEBR-D2. It said the endeavor extends the partnership established at HPP Brežice. Of note, it supplied generators for the 47.4 MW HPP, which began operating in 2017.

Located just a few kilometers upstream from HPP Brežice, on the left bank of the Sava River, the two units will have a combined peak capacity of 9.2 MW, powered by 14,790 PV modules, Končar added.

The Croatian firm revealed that the contract is worth EUR 4.5 million. It sets an ambitious goal: both plants are scheduled to be fully operational and handed over to the client by the end of next year, according to Končar.

The largest solar power plant in Slovenia has a capacity of 7.1 MW

In late May, on World Sun Day, HESS announced that it obtained construction permits for the FEBR-D1 and FEBR-D2 solar plants. It is the continuation of the story within which, on June 21, 2023, Slovenia’s largest hybrid solar power plant FEBR-D3 began production, it added.

Of note, the largest solar power plant in Slovenia has a capacity of 7.1 MW. It came online last month on the border with Italy.

Hydropower and solar energy make an excellent combination, so numerous power utilities, including the ones in the Western Balkans, decided to invest. The latest example comes again from Slovenia, where Soške Elektrarne Nova Gorica (SENG), part of HSE, commissioned its first PV unit at its Avče pumped storage hydropower plant.

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August 13, 2025
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First part of Tenevo PV plant comes online, batteries are under construction

The largest hybrid power plant in Bulgaria is beginning to take shape – a joint venture of Eurowind Energy and Renalfa IPP commissioned the first segment of a solar park, and it is building a battery energy storage system (BESS). The Tenevo facility is planned to include a wind power plant as well.

Almost two years after the start of construction, a solar park in Yambol province in southeastern Bulgaria is now producing electricity. It has 69 MW in peak capacity. Project firm Tenevo Solar Technologies has a task to expand it to 237.6 MW, making it one of the biggest photovoltaic systems in the country.

Together with a battery system, of 315 MW in operating power and 760 MWh in capacity, and the planned wind farm of 250 MW, it would be the largest and most complex hybrid power plant in Bulgaria. At this moment, it would also be the first such green energy facility that doesn’t consist only of photovoltaics and batteries. The BESS part alone would probably be the biggest in Europe.

Tenevo will likely become the biggest hybrid power plant in Bulgaria and the first one with an additional source besides solar power and BESS

Tenevo operates under Eura IPP, incorporated in Bulgaria. It is an equally owned joint venture of Renalfa IPP and Eurowind Energy. The former of the two is itself a JV, founded by Vienna-based clean energy and e-mobility company Renalfa Solarpro Group, and French renewable energy infrastructure fund manager RGreen Invest.

Renalfa IPP said it has more than 650 MW in operation, over 1 GW of projects in late-stage development and a project pipeline of more than 3 GW. The company is active in Poland, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, and North Macedonia.

Eurowind Energy is a Danish investment and project development company in the field of renewable energy and an independent power producer. It has a global portfolio of over 60 GW, of which 1.3 GW in operation.

Second phase of Tenevo PV park to come online early next year

Together with the solar power plant, the 400 kV grid connection system started operating. The second phase of the Tenevo PV park will be put into operation in early 2026, as some of the panels were damaged by the extremely intense hailstorm in May, according to the update.

The BESS facility is under construction, Renalfa IPP revealed. EURA IPP secured a 320 MW connection to the transmission network, of which up to 213.7 MW is for the solar farm.

Raiffeisen, EBRD are main creditors

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has committed a senior secured loan of up to EUR 50 million. It includes a full or partial cover by a first loss guarantee under the EBRD InvestEU Framework, the lender’s first in Bulgaria. It valued the project at EUR 158.4 million.

Raiffeisen Bank International provided a financing facility of EUR 53 million.

The entire solar power segment of the hybrid power plant is expected to generate 332 GWh per year. The PV panels are equipped with single-axis trackers, allowing them to turn toward the sun, which boosts efficiency.

Tenevo is on the site of a former airport near an eponymous village in the municipality of Tundzha.

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August 12, 2025
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Wind power takes lead in new renewables investment wave in Romania

The rising number of maturing wind power projects and the ones under construction in Romania has highlighted the increasing role of the technology for the country’s energy transition. The recent updates are for three locations in the country’s east.

Investments in wind power in Romania are rebounding from a long lull. According to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the country hosted nearly 3.1 GW in wind power capacity at the end of 2024. It achieved a peak of 3.24 GW a decade before. Investors are maturing an increasing number of projects or beginning construction, alongside significant acquisition activity.

Together with a wave of investments in battery storage, the wind power segment is making the domestic renewable energy market more balanced. It was dominated by photovoltaics for several years – primarily by the meteoric rise in the number of prosumers. Of note, there were 228,302 at the end of May, operating 2.73 GW in capacity.

New Minister of Energy Bogdan Ivan recently estimated that another 3.2 GW of solar and wind power combined would come online in Romania by the end of 2026.

Wind park of over 250 MW in Ialomița to be completed in 2027

The administration of Ialomița County in the country’s east announced that KKR, its subsidiary Greenvolt and Renovatio would build a wind park of more than 250 MW. It would consist of three power plants in the area around Țăndărei, Gheorghe Lazăr, Grivița and Ograda.

According to the regional authority, the Ialomița wind farm project east of Bucharest is worth more than EUR 400 million. Its completion is expected in 2027.

Greenvolt has won support for more than half of capacity in its Ialomița Nord wind power project at the government’s first wind and solar power auction, through a contract for difference (CfD). Total investment is for 246.4 MW.

Greek renewables giant to start construction of two wind power plants

HELLENiQ Renewables Romania, operating under Greece-based HELLENiQ Energy, acquired Ansthall Green Energy from OX2. The project firm owns a ready-to-build wind project in Scânteiesti in Galaţi in eastern Romania, with a licensed capacity of 96 MW.

The Greek parent company said construction is starting immediately through a deal with OX2 Construction. It expects to put the facility into operation in 2027.

It has a 12-year virtual power purchase agreement (PPA) with Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize, for 158 GWh per year. The company operates supermarket chains. Total annual output is estimated at 309 GWh.

HELLENiQ Energy revealed that it has bought two ready-to-build projects of 282 MW in total

HELLENiQ Energy’s Romanian company also signed a contract to take over Helios and Wind Energy, a special purpose vehicle owning a ready-to-build wind project in the nearby Vaslui region. The licensed capacity is 186 MW and there is an option to add a battery energy storage system (BESS). It would have 186 MW in operational power as well and a duration of one hour, translating to 186 MWh.

Regulators in Romania must approve the agreement before the transaction.

In addition, the company completed the purchase of a ready-to-build PV project of 123 MW in peak capacity. The location is in Haskovo region in southern Bulgaria, which marks HELLENiQ’s entry into the country. The solar power plant can include a BESS facility of 90 MW and 180 MWh.

The company previously known as Hellenic Petroleum (HELPE) intends to start the construction of two BESS in its home market. They would have 50 MW and 200 MWh altogether. The two endeavors in Florina were among the winners in the third auction for battery storage in Greece.

Turkish company, Romanian footbal star’s daughter advance joint project

The third recent update is for one of the biggest planned wind farms in Romania, also in the east. The location for the Dăeni project is in Tulcea county. It has received the grid connection approval from Transelectrica and an environmental permit from the National Environment Protection Agency (NEPA or, in Romanian, ANPM).

Project documentation for the wind power plant of 56 turbines of 7.2 MW each shows the facility should be commissioned by the end of 2031, Profit.ro reported. It translates to 403.2 MW in nominal capacity. Dăeni would have a connection to the transmission grid of over 394 MW.

Oxigen Delta is 50% owned by a subsidiary of Turkey-based Sanko Enerji

The developer is Oxigen Delta, in which 50% is owned by a subsidiary of Turkey-based Sanko Enerji, part of Sanko Holding. Milana-Maria Ilie, daughter of famous former Romanian football player Adrian Ilie, is among the main shareholders, the article adds. The investment was valued at some EUR 800 million last year.

Eximprod, which installed the first wind turbine in Romania more than two decades ago, has delivered the first megawatt-hours to the grid from its new wind farm in the country’s east. Rezolv secured a financing package for the second phase of its giant Vifor wind farm in Buzău county

Eurowind Energy built the turbines earlier this year at its Pecineaga wind park. Greece-based Public Power Corp. (PPC) is supposed to connect its Deleni facility to the grid before the end of the year.

OX2 is constructing the Green Breeze wind farm as the turnkey contractor for the investor, Nala Renewables.

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August 12, 2025
by in News

Water shortages in Southeastern Europe point to desalination as strategic approach

Former Minister of Environment and Water of Bulgaria Borislav Sandov is urging the country’s authorities to deploy alternative water supply solutions, including desalination, to counter shortages. Greece is preparing a radical change in its water management model. Turkey got its first floating seawater purification platform, running on solar and wind power.

Southeastern Europe is among the most jeopardized regions in the world in the context of global warming. The lack of water has the most drastic effect on everything from wildlife to food production, energy and public health. Bulgaria’s former Minister of Environment and Water Borislav Sandov warned that over half a million people in the country are at risk of water shortages.

Eastern and northeastern Bulgaria have a persistent issue with droughts and lack of water, necessitating a switch toward alternative forms of supply in the next five to 10 years, including seawater desalination plants, he recently told bTV.

In addition to climatic factors, there are serious shortcomings in water management, together with theft and corruption, Sandov claimed. He pointed to an example where drastically undersized pipes of poor quality were installed in one area, resulting in constant breakdowns and supply interruptions.

Sandov attributed some of the water stress to fragmented management between different local, regional and national institutions. In his words, as much as 10% of all settlements in Bulgaria, though mostly small ones, aren’t covered by waterworks and sewerage systems. Moreover, 44% of the water in the network isn’t measured in volume terms at the entry point and 50% of the water sources don’t have a valid permit from the competent authority, he added.

Notably, a quarter of the population in neighboring Serbia occasionally or permanently lacks safe drinking water from waterworks systems.

Greece to radically change its water management system

Greece decided to get ahead of the droughts and heatwaves. The government has promised radical change in water management: a more functional system with more investments and new technologies, including desalination, but also recycling.

Tourism in the summer months exacerbates the water stress. On some islands, demand surges by up to 30 times. It creates conflict with the needs for irrigation for food production. Greek islands mostly use underground aquifers with easily exhaustible capacity.

Rainfall and snowfall in the country are gradually decreasing.

Similar to Bulgaria, water management is spread across hundreds of operators and institutions, lacking coordination. Losses in drinking water supply amount to as much as 40%, in comparison with up to a staggering 60% in irrigation.

The government in Athens promised water would remain a public good

According to a study by Deloitte with data from 2022, more than EUR 10 billion is necessary for investments in the two segments, excluding Attica. It is where Athens is located. Another EUR 500 million to EUR 700 million is needed for the peninsula.

Government-controlled power utility Public Power Corp. (PPC) will reportedly enter the game, not least because municipal water and sewerage firms owe it more than EUR 400 million. The company would convert debts into minority stakes in three centralized entities: for the regions of Athens and Thessaloniki and the rest of the country, the media learned.

PPC can contribute with its knowhow and experience in the construction and operation of dams and hydropower plants.

Importantly, the government vowed to keep water a public good.

Floating desalination platform with hybrid power plant put into operation in western Turkey

Right opposite the Greek island of Kos, offshore Bitez Marina, the Bodrum Municipality inaugurated Turkey’s first floating seawater purification platform. It runs entirely on renewable energy, producing 20 cubic metres of clean, non-potable water every day.

The project was developed in partnership with Istanbul-based company Blue Hybrid Solutions. The facility is powered by solar panels and two small wind turbines. It delivers water to an onshore tank for irrigation, emergency needs and, when required, public consumption, the local authority said.

Greece is already conducting a massive project for energy independence of numerous non-interconnected islands, including investments in desalination powered by renewables. It is also working to link other islands to the mainland grid.

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